Invisible strings of helplessness and hurt were quenching the life out of her heart as her sight was struck on the way in which Sridhar ran away terrified. All this while she had a slight hope of adopting him, she had a small hope of him addressing her as his mother but now the little rays of hope she was hanging onto evaporated in seconds.

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she turned her head looking at her husband, silently pleading for his help through her eyes. Arjuna knew how important Sridhar is to Chitra and that broken expression on her face teared his eyes. Why is it that every time he sees her tearful eyes his heart screams to get the world to her? He can create a new world for her or break the world into two halves, just for her.

Taking two large steps Arjuna strode towards her and pulled Chitra in a deep hug and the second she felt his warmth all her hurt and pain turned into tears, she sobbed on his shoulder clutching him.

Apsara's lips curled up in a cruel smile seeing Chitra breakdown emotionally, her heartfelt peaceful seeing Chitra cry profusely, and unintentionally a laugh slipped through her mouth making Chitra turn towards her.

"Uffo," Apsara rolled her eyes as she tisked, "That pathetic boy is always trouble isn't he?"

Those arrogant words snapped something in Chitra, how can a human drop so low to hurt an innocent child? Chitra slowly pulled herself away from Arjuna's arm and faced Apsara as she asked, "Where is Sridhar's mother?"

Apsara was still smiling and Chitra understood her plan, Apsara was trying to irk up anger in her so that she would lose her control and kill her in an instant, but she deserves a slow and painful death.

"Oh her, that bitch died giving birth to him. How good would it have been if that idiot of a boy had died along-"

A loud slap echoed through the royal court, the force of Chitra's hand on Apsara's cheek made her fall down hitting the floor hard. Rajmata and every minister stood shocked seeing this. They heard that their queen was dangerous enough to kill a strong bandits leader but never have they seen her like that. She barely attended the royal court after the war so they assumed that she was a soft woman who runs on the orders of her husband and Rajamatha.

But now the woman in front of them looked angry, some unknown aura of fire and authority radiated from her.

Chitra pulled Apsara up by her hair and she struggled at the feeling of her hair being ripped off, Chitra moved close to her looking in her eyes, her words filled with wrath and disgust as she spoke, "People like you who can't even respect the dead or innocent children do not deserve to live!"

At the speed of lightning, she picked up the sword on the floor and lifted it up to behead Apsara.

"Chitra!" An alarmed voice of Rajmata stopped her as she walked down from the dais and held Chitra's hand, "Don't do this daughter, the blood of such impure devils should not be spilled in a pious place like our royal court."

"Rajamatha, Please I-"

"I understand your pain Chitra but let us not forget the rules and morals on which our kingdom has been built on. Apsara is punishable to death and I promise you," She loosened Chitra's grip on the sword as it fell to the ground, she placed her wrinkled hand on her cheek as she spoke, "I promise you that you will be the one to see her end but not now dear."

Arjuna noticed the heavily interested looks of few ministers, the drama they have seen till will not even take a day spread outside the palace.

"Rajan," Arjuna called for Rajan who was standing behind along with a few ministers. "Lock her up and make sure to tell the security to keep a close watch on her. And Everyone except minister Vinayak can leave for the day."

Soon half-heartedly all the ministers left the court and Vinayak Damodar who is the new rural welfare minister stayed back.

Rubbing her forehead Rajamatha turned behind and sat on her Sliver throne holding her head in her arms.

"What is going on Arjuna? You and Chitra make sure to eliminate that Apsara silently, do not create such dramatic scenarios again."

Chitra felt offended to hear those words from Rajamatha as she was not being dramatic, she was trying to hurt those who were disrespecting her Sridhar. She was trying to kill that filthy woman who is a demon in the cover of a human. But she didn't bother to explain herself, her head was pounding and her eyes were burning with pain due to the heavy crying.

"Ma-"

Arjuna tried to explain the situation but before he could Rajamatha halted him by speaking.

"Arjuna, I don't want to hear any explanations about this issue right now, so first give me a detailed report about your travel."

To say Arjuna is frustrated would be an understatement, right now all he needed to do is take his wife in his arms, she was getting weaker now, all these days of restless travel and the emotional breakdown she is having right now was worrying him.

He should make things right so that he could see her bright smile once again and for that he has to do this now. Taking a deep breath he reported everything to his mother.

"Those men who were performing that gruesome act are not from our kingdom, after the war the security around the border and Kala Van forest got weaker so they randomly picked up young girls as their targets."

"Were they selling them? Or-"

"No mother, it was a personal agenda to attain moksha. So they sacrificed them to fire."

Rajamatha Padmaja shook her head slightly in disbelief as she spoke, "And also, I have got a report about you giving access to those villages to relocate?"

"Yes, mother. Villagers of kalikapur are originally healers who are perfectly trained."

Rajmata's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "That is of course a good thing but we might just require two or three healers for the royal sanatorium. Then what will those-"

"I will be sanctioning treasures for construction of public sanitoriums and these villagers will be hired as healers."

"What? Public sanitariums?" Confusion laced Rajmatha's brain as she said those words. Her head was almost breaking into two now, why is her son doing this? "Arjuna, I respect your sight to provide public sanitariums but those will require a huge portion of the royal treasures however when we already have few sanitoriums then why build again?"

Arjuna moved close to Chitra and placed his hand over her shoulder pulling her close into him as he spoke, "Ma, no one better than us knows the pain of losing a child. Even exempting those misunderstandings created by Apsara the ever stinging pain of our lost child will always be alive in us."

"And I will see to it that never ever again in this great kingdom of mine should a mother suffer this tragic pain like us." Chitra tilted her eyes up in shock to have a look at her husband, her eyes glistened with tears as she can feel the throbbing pain in his voice, "These sanatoriums will have specially trained healers and will be available to all nobles and commoners."

Tears rolled down Chitra's cheeks listening to those words, how can a king be so righteous and truthful as him. Arjuna could have just bought those trained healers to their royal sanatorium however he chose the option to let these services be out in the public. He was trying to make sure that his citizens should never face the issue of lacking medical help.

Rajmata Padmaja no longer knew what to do. Her son was partially right, all the public should have access to medicinal help but will the nobles in the kingdom accept to be treated alongside poor commoners in the same sanatorium?

"Chitra, why don't you go to our chambers and take some rest?" Arjuna asked as he placed a small kiss on her crown of the head.

Chitra silently nodded as she turned behind and walked out of the royal court and the second she stepped out she was greeted by champa, her maid.

"Your highness, I drew a bath for you to fresh up." She informed her and soon Chitra was in her room sitting on the windowsill looking outside at the vast sky. She has changed into a soft blue silk saree, her hair was flying due to wind and her eyes teared up thinking about the day.

It was a huge relief for her when Champa informed her about Nandhini being rescued. Apparently Vikram has found Nandhini at the right time and the physician was able to break the poison in her blood before it could spread and reach her heart.

Her body was aching with raw pain, even the warm bath she had couldn't help her to calm down, every second she closed her eyes she could see the terrified image of Sridhar running away. She always knew that she could never adopt him but the fact that he ran away is breaking her heart.

Chitra leaned her head behind on the wall as she closed her eyes crying but unexpectedly she felt soft fingers wiping tears on her wet cheeks. Her eyes flew open thinking it might be Sridhar and it was. Little Sridhar sat on the edge of the windowsill with a small box in his hands as he looked sad.

"Please don't cry, Chitra?" His large eyes were filled with sadness as he wiped her cheeks.

Chira was dazed, was this really her Sridhar or was she imagining him?

"Sri?"

"I am sorry?" Saying he pushed the wooden box in her hand giving her a smile.

A tiny laugh erupted from her tears of happiness slipped from her eyes, she quickly pulled him close, hugging his tiny frame, and placing countless kisses on his cheek and forehead longingly with love.

"I am sorry too, Sridhar. Did I scare you back then?" She asked cooing as she cupped his chubby face in her palms.

"Um." Sridhar tapped his chin with his index finger as he gave it a deep thought, "Just a little." He said smiling.

Chitra pulled him close into her lap and he sat happily as he played with the edge of her saree. Observing that he was no more in a bad mood she slowly asked him, "Why were you scared?"

His adorable face turned into a tiny frown as he said still playing with the pallu of her saree, "Big swords scare me sometimes and that sword had blood on it!"

He dragged his words as he spoke as he was getting uncomfortable, not many kids are comfortable with blood and looks like Sridhar is one such kid. So trying to divert the topic Chitra asked him about what the box he gave her had.

" Oh that, I made clay toys for us to play the other day but few toys broke before when I dropped the box which I bought for you."

His face turned sad and his head hung low as he was upset about the toys which broke an hour ago which he brought to the royal court to meet her.

"It's okay, Sri! Shall we play with these now?"

She asked with a huge smile, making Sridhar jump up and down in excitement, and just like usual he kept complaining animatedly about his friend Mandhara made fun of him and about how he made friends with the little colt he met a few days ago.

Chitra smiled contently, listening to Sridhar talk as this is all that she ever needs, her loving husband this little bundle of joy.

***

Meanwhile, at the royal hall, Rajmata could not find any loophole to oppose or reject her son's request. She had made sure that the royal treasure is strategically distributed so that they should have some treasure handy for any unexpected calamities.

She slowly stepped down the dais and walked near her son running her hand through his hair, "Look at your face, so tired and worn out. You and Chitra take rest, okay?"

And just when she was about to walk away Arjuna caught her hand, "Ma I have another request."

Rajmatha Padmaja smiled turning behind, teasing him as she spoke, "What is it now? You need treasures to build temples or what?"

Arjuna had a determined look on his face as he spoke and all the color left Rajmata's face as she heard those words, "No ma, I need your warm blessings to adopt Sridhar as my son."

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